An elder ronin samurai arrives at a feudal lord's home and requests an honorable place to commit suicide. But when the ronin inquires about a younger samurai who arrived before him things take an unexpected turn.

On his deathbed, a wealthy businessman announces that his fortune is to be split equally among his three illegitimate children, whose whereabouts are unknown to his family and colleagues. A... See full summary »

Heinz Prulier (Fred Robsahm) is a German soldier stationed as a sniper overlooking his own army from a tree. When he falls asleep, his troops are gone and he is left alone to defend the ... See full summary »

Perhaps Kobayashi's most sordid film, Black River is an exposé of the rampant corruption on and around U.S. military bases following World War II. Kobayashi spirals out from the story of a ... See full summary »

From the Criterion Collection: "Among the first Japanese films to deal directly with the scars of World War II, this drama about a group of rank-and-file Japanese soldiers jailed for crimes... See full summary »

Storyline

Part three of a trilogy. After the Japanese defeat to the Russians in the last episode, Kaji, the Japanese soldier and humanist protagonist, leads the last remaining men through Manchuria . Intent on returning to his dear wife and his old life, Kaji faces great odds in a variety of different harrowing circumstances as he and his fellow men sneak behind enemy lines. Ultimately, he finds himself in the exact opposite position he held in the first episode: then a labor manager, Kaji is now a prisoner of war, forced to work for the Russians, whom do not seem to hold to the Communist ideals in which Kaji himself had put his faith. Written by
nao209@nyu.edu

Frequently Asked Questions

User Reviews

anyone who is seriously interested in understanding what's wrong with the "human" should watch this excellent piece of art. Tatusuya nakadai is delivering here an astonish performance.

Kobayashi is definitely one of the greatest directors and offers precision and coherence to this trilogy. Music is obviously an tremendous emotional experience. There is no necessity to write much, the movie speaks for itself as long as one understands the movements and rhythms conveyed through the subtle evolution of the main character. A long trilogy worth watching till the end in the vein of harakiri (seppuku). PS. understanding our history seems to be of great importance, especially in the actual political context of unrest, what happened and is happening in the arab world is a very important issue, violence unfortunately still prevails.